The Silvan Elf Series 1
by DarthFissure95
Summary: Tauriel is a Silvan Elf who escapes into the Greenwood Forest after a pack of orcs kills her parents. Once there, she is accepted into the Kingdom of the Woodland Realm ruled by King Thranduil, and is trained by the king's son Legolas. When Tauriel is betrayed and a darkness approaches, she must decide which side she's on and if her existence with the Wood-Elves is safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Written by DarthFissure95, Edited by Fictitious Fan**

**The asterisk (*) symbol used ONCE means the start of a new scene, while the asterisk (*) symbol used TWICE signals the END of a scene.**

**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I really hope you enjoy this series of stories. For a while I never thought I would write any fanfiction that takes place on Middle-Earth, but since I loved the Legolas-Tauriel dynamic so much, I decided to give it a shot. I should mention that this is NOT a romance series between Legolas and Tauriel. This series is about Tauriel's growth into the kind of Elf we see in Desolation of Smaug, and I made up some new characters to add tension. Legolas is a mentor to Tauriel in this series, and their relationship slowly grows into genuine friendship. Additionally, most of the grammar edits were done by Fictitious Fan and to her I give my thanks.**

*Tauriel, daughter of Adarlae and Itaril, was a young elf that was accepted and raised in the kingdom of the Woodland Realm. After her parents were attacked and killed by an orc pack, Tauriel fled to Greenwood the Great, a large stretch of woods that was home to a gathering of Elves ruled by Thranduil. There, she was found and brought to the kingdom by an elf named Alagos.

Tauriel hated the dark, but she loved the stars more than anything else. Many felt the stars were beautiful, but to Tauriel, they were the most beautiful thing. She thought of them as a beauty that evoked memory. They told stories of the ancient history of Middle-Earth stretching as far back as the First Age, when the races of the world were still evolving.

Tauriel knew she felt at home with the Woodland Elves when she learned that they loved the starlight most of all. All light was sacred to the Eldar, but starlight was the most precious and pure to the Woodland Elves.

When she was accepted into the family of the elves by Thranduil, he introduced to her his only son, Legolas Greenleaf, a young elf with long hair and he carried a bow and quiver of arrows with him wherever he went. They were his primary weapons, they were what he used the most.

"Tauriel," Thranduil spoke in the Sindarin tongue. Tauriel straightened in attention.

"Yes, my lord?" She asked.

"I would like you to meet my son Legolas Greenleaf, prince of the Woodland Realm," Thranduil said, gesturing to the young elf. Legolas bowed to Tauriel respectfully.

"I am at your service, Tauriel," he said.

"To you I give my thanks," Tauriel replied.

"Legolas, it will be your job to train her and teach her our ways. You are more than welcome here, Tauriel, but I expect you to learn how to go about things as commanded by me," Thranduil said.

"I assure you my lord, I will not disappoint you," Tauriel promised. She liked Thranduil. He seemed to be a kind spirit, but she knew that he was also someone that wasn't to be messed with. Many stories of Thranduil's past floated around the kingdom, so many different ones that it was almost impossible to know which ones were real and which ones weren't.

One of the strangest tales about Thranduil was that he had once faced what were only referred to as "the great serpents of the north", and while doing so, had gotten his face almost completely melted off. It took special Elf medicine and healing to cover the wreckage and keep him alive. If this was true, Tauriel hoped that Thranduil's face would never unravel to reveal the damage.

When Tauriel had come to the Woodland Realm, she knew nothing about archery. Legolas was exactly the person to teach her the ways of the archer. Four days after her arrival, she and Legolas spent several hours outside in the forest with their bows and arrows, shooting at a tree. Tauriel slung another arrow and attempted to hit the tree right in its center, instead it just barely grazed the side of the tree and hit the ground with a small clatter.

"You need to focus more," Legolas commented. He quickly drew an arrow out of his quiver and shot it before Tauriel could even blink. The arrow struck the center of the tree, lodging it several inches in. "When you drew that arrow, what were you thinking about?" Legolas asked. Tauriel's face reddened in embarrassment while her eyes drifted to the ground.

"I was thinking about the Feast of Starlight, how I look forward to the day when I can experience it," she admitted.

"Your mind wanders, and that is a weakness," Legolas warned.

"Forgive me. I have failed you," Tauriel said.

"Any thought of failure brings about failure," Legolas replied. Tauriel reached for another arrow and realized then that her quiver was empty.

"That's your next lesson. Every shot has to count, or running out of arrows because of bad shots can be your undoing," Legolas said. He motioned for Tauriel to go pick up the arrow she had shot.

"What if I don't find it?" She asked.

"You always find what is yours, as long as you search for it," Legolas said. Tauriel walked off to retrieve her arrows. She searched the ground until she found them scattered amongst some flora.

"If ever there is a time you are down to one arrow, it is your responsibility to keep it close to you," Legolas said behind her. Tauriel then heard a stick snap. She quickly looked up, her arrow drawn in her bow. She thought she could see the shadow of a short being passing in between trees. The shadow was carrying a staff in his hand.

"Who is that?" She asked. Legolas smiled, not even looking where she was watching.

"None of us know the name, but he is a wizard that dwells here in the forest. He does not trespass through our lands or bother us, so we don't bother him," he explained. Tauriel lowered her bow and relaxed.

"You are impulsive and quick to take action. You are just like me," Legolas commented. Tauriel decided to take that as a compliment. If she was just like Legolas, then that had to be a good thing. She hoped so anyway.**

**Four Weeks Later...**

*Legolas leaned against the wall in one of the hallways of his father's kingdom. He examined a sword of Sindarin Elven make, turning it over in his hands and feeling along the blade. He found swords to be fascinating and a great weapon in battle, but it wasn't exactly a weapon he was interested in wielding. The bow and arrow was his weapon, and he wanted so much for Tauriel to learn how to perfect the skill.

"You can't make her be just like you," his father had told him that morning.

"I understand, my lord," Legolas replied.

"She will learn in time, but you must be patient. An impatient trainer makes a foolish student," Thranduil advised.

"She isn't even ready to face so much as a warg. She comes from a family that fought very few battles."

"Perhaps, but that is why I gave her you to be trained. You were the same way when you were young. You are even still impulsive and you act without thinking," Thranduil said.

"I know my place father, and I don't deny it. Patience is not a strength of mine."

"No, you're right. It isn't," Thranduil agreed.

Legolas put the sword in his sheath and sighed. Just then, another Elf approached him. His name was Alagos, one of the tallest Elves in the kingdom. While many of the other Elves had smoother, gentler, and softer faces, Alagos's face was like Thranduil. He his green eyes looked like they were trying to pierce through skin, and his expression was always hard and calculating. Nevertheless, he and Legolas were best friends. They both greeted each other and embraced.

"I heard you've been having trouble with your student," Alagos said playfully, with the vaguest hint of a smile.

"She struggles with learning. Concentration is not a strength of hers," Legolas explained.

"You cannot be too hard on her. She is young and inexperienced. Show me to her," Alagos ordered.

"She walks in the Greenwood outside. I do not know exactly where she is," Legolas admitted.

"Then we will find her," Alagos said. Legolas followed Alagos outside, and the two of them walked through the woods. It was a beautiful stretch of woods, the trees were vibrant with color, flaming scarlet and the golden color of the sun mixed together. Leaves fell and blew gently through the soft wind. Legolas took frequent walks through the forest, but more and more he was beginning to do it less often. His father rarely allowed any of his people to venture too far out unless it was for personal reasons or there was a danger that was related to them.

Legolas and Alagos finally found Tauriel sitting on a large boulder looking up at the sky.

"It is still broad daylight. I wonder if the stars will be out tonight," she said.

"Tauriel," Legolas spoke up, "the one who found you, Alagos, would like to speak with you."

Tauriel got up from the boulder and bowed.

"Greetings my lord," she said.

"Tauriel, I want to show you something," Alagos requested. Tauriel eyed Legolas for his approval. Legolas nodded and motioned to Tauriel to follow him. Legolas walked a short distance behind them until they finally stopped in a clearing.

"Legolas tells me that you have an ill aim with a bow and arrow. The bow and arrow is one of the weapons that the Wood Elves treasure the most. To learn how to use it with success, concentration is your ally," Alagos said. Legolas felt a little bit irritated that Alagos was only repeating what he himself had taught Tauriel time and time again.

"She knows this, but her mind wanders. She can never stay focused," Legolas spoke up. Tauriel's expression melted to shame and humiliation. It almost hurt Legolas to see her like that, but he was only telling the truth.

"You're hard on her. You are impatient, and that kind of attitude will push her away from you," Alagos said. He stood next to Tauriel and took hold of the bow that was already in her hand.

"Raise this with me. It must be straight, your body to the side. Do not concentrate your vision not on your arrow, but at that tree," Alagos instructed. Tauriel nodded, a slight tremble ran through her hands as she straightened her arrow in her bow and aimed straight at the tree in front of her.

"Do not tremble," Alagos warned. Tauriel took a deep breath and stilled her hands. The bow creaked in her grip.

"What are you thinking about, Lady Tauriel?" Alagos asked.

"The tree in front of me," Tauriel replied. Alagos nodded.

"Then release the arrow. Let go."

Tauriel stopped herself from shutting her eyes and let go. The arrow stabbed through air and the tip sank into the bark of the tree right in its center. Legolas stared on in awe at the successful attempt.

"Thank you Tauriel, you did well. Please leave me and Legolas and he will join you shortly," Alagos said. Tauriel bowed and left the clearing.

"How does she listen to you but not to me?" Legolas asked.

"You're hard on her, and that causes her to grow nervous and unsure of herself," Alagos replied.

"Then _you _should teach her," Legolas suggested.

"The king gave her to you, not me," Alagos said. He then began his walk back to the kingdom without another word.**

*Tauriel was startled awake that night by another nightmare. In the dream she could see her mother and father die again, and she felt the unbearable sensation of fear when she escaped from the orcs and retreated into the Greenwood. She could see Alagos' face when he found her cowering under the shade of a tree. The dream ended differently than how the event really happened however. Instead of Alagos taking Tauriel back with him to the kingdom, the orc pack follows Tauriel into the Greenwood and attacks her and Alagos and the two are cut down.

"What is it Lady Tauriel?" A soft voice asked from her door. Tauriel sat up in her bed and saw Meleth standing at the door. Meleth was a fairer elf than she was, and shorter even though she was about a hundred years older than Tauriel. Her hair was smooth black in the night and a fiery yellow in the day. Her ocean blue eyes glistened in the moonlight.

"You were screaming. Was it a bad dream?" She asked. Tauriel nodded and laid her head back down on the pillow. Her forehead was drenched in sweat and her heartbeat was still going at an alarming rate.

"Why are you still awake?" Tauriel asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm afraid that my mind will be taken into a dark abyss again," Meleth admitted.

"You and me both. I fear what I will see the next time I close my eyes."

"Would you like to speak about it?" Meleth asked.

"It's the same nightmare over and over again. I see my family slain by orcs and I run to the Greenwood. Alagos finds me, but before he can take me, we are both ambushed and killed by orcs. Alagos is always the first to die," Tauriel explained.

"Do you believe it is perhaps a warning?" Meleth asked.

"I do not know. I try not to think about it."

"Perhaps you should tell the king," Meleth suggested.

"I only talk to him when it is absolutely necessary."

"Do you fear him?" Meleth asked.

"It is not exactly that I _fear _him. I am just unsure of him."

"I trust him with my life," Meleth assured her. Tauriel sat back up and allowed a small smile.

"Then I will learn to trust him too, after all he did take me in and allow me to stay here."

"You're unsure of the king because you're not one of us. You will become one of us someday. I promise."

Though Tauriel deeply appreciated her friend's encouragement, she felt that hundreds of years will go by and she will still never officially be one of the Woodland Elves.**

*Tauriel had never been to Esgaroth before until now. The only real civilization there was a small Lake-Town that was very close to the Lonely Mountain. The Lonely Mountain was inhabited by a race of dwarves ruled by Thrain I. Tauriel heard that the dwarves there possessed great riches beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Gold was never a temptation of Tauriel's. She was grateful enough just to have a roof over her head after the deaths of her parents.

Tauriel sat on the back of a small ship with Legolas standing in front keeping a watchful eye over the water ahead of them. Finally, through the fog, the Lake-Town revealed itself. It was indeed small, but it was filled with folk going every which way carrying on with their business. After weeks now of not stepping out of the forest, it felt refreshing to Tauriel to be able to see the world outside once more.

"We are here to trade these barrels for some wine," Legolas explained.

"I understand," Tauriel replied, biting into a piece of lembas bread. The bread satisfied the stomach, but after a while of having it, the bread seemed tasteless and tedious. She was already beginning to yearn the rich food back home. Their ship finally reached the front gate of the town, which was closed. A watcher stepped out from a small hut to the left.

"Who goes there?" He demanded. He was a short man wearing a thick fur coat despite the humidity.

"Elves from the Woodland Realm. You're new for this post," Legolas said.

"I am. Are you here for the trade?" The man asked. Legolas nodded.

"You can forget it. There is no wine here to give you," Legolas and Tauriel both frowned. No wine in this entire town to give? The Master should have more than plenty of it.

"My father informed me that there would be wine waiting for us right here at this post," Legolas said.

"The Master doesn't want you to take it, so you can take these barrels back," the man ordered. Tauriel immediately took up her bow and slung an arrow in it, aiming it straight at the man's forehead.

"Don't toy with us. You're lying," she hissed. She didn't understand where this attitude came from, she was just barbaric and quick to action. The man stood his ground, not even budging.

"The Master will not be happy to hear that Elves of the Woodland Realm are threatening violence with the watcher of the town."

"Please excuse her, she doesn't know any better," Legolas said, with a sharp look in Tauriel's direction. Tauriel's face burned, but she kept her position the same. Legolas looked the man up and down as if studying him, then before Tauriel could blink, a dagger suddenly appeared in Legolas's hand. He leaped around the man and got the dagger to his neck.

"Remove your coat," Legolas ordered under his breath. Tauriel kept her arrow pointed at the man's head. He had a dagger at his neck and an arrow pointed at him, any false move the watcher may make would be suicide.

"Okay, okay," the man stuttered. He carefully moved his hands to his coat and began to slowly take it off over his shoulders. He let it drop behind him. When the coat hit the dock, Tauriel heard something like glass clatter inside it.

"Tauriel, pick up the coat and take out what's inside," Legolas ordered. Tauriel nodded and she lifted the coat, revealing several bottles of wine. One had a crack along its side from hitting the dock, causing wine to drip from the bottle and pepper across the coat.

"He was hiding it," Tauriel realized aloud. As soon as Legolas took the dagger away from the man's neck, the man shoved him into a stack of crates and ran. The watcher leaped up a pile of two boxes along the hut and climbed onto the roof. Tauriel bolted after him.

"Tauriel, wait! It's not our business," Legolas called after her. But Tauriel kept running. She couldn't let him get away with this. This was their business. The watcher didn't even have the exact quantity of wine promised inside his coat. He was hiding the rest in other places. Tauriel followed him, leaping up onto the roof of the hut and frantically searching for him. She saw him leap down another roof after having jumped from house to house. He fell onto a drifting boat and looked up at her. Tauriel ran across the roof and leaped after him. The boat hardly moved when her feet hit it. The man drew a dagger from his sleeve and lashed out at her. Tauriel removed her own long dagger just in time to block the blow. The man spun, swinging the dagger towards Tauriel's neck, but she managed to jerk her head back. She felt a small, sharp wind as the tip of the dagger missed her by several inches.

Her attacker leaped and kicked Tauriel in the stomach. The boat rocked and she fell backwards, slamming against the edge of the boat. She groaned from the pain and struggled to get back up. She looked up and saw the man holding his dagger with both hands, with its tip pointed down at her.

"You elf dogs take our goods and give us almost nothing in return," he sneered. Before he could stab Tauriel, she spoke a sentence in Silvan Elvish. The man stopped and frowned, then Tauriel thrust her hands out, and a whirlwind sprang from her palms and smashed against the man, throwing him against the wall of a house. He fell and rolled, groaning as he went. Tauriel staggered to her feet and looked at her hands. She had used a dose of a powerful magic. What confused her was that she had never been taught how to wield this magic in her entire life. She looked up at Legolas, who had watched the whole thing from the roof of a nearby house. A crowd had gathered, looking on at the aftermath of the fight.

The Master of the Lake-Town was among them. He approached the watcher and hoisted him to his feet.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Master demanded.

"The watcher is responsible for stealing wine and hiding it from us so that we won't receive it," Tauriel explained.

"Prove it. Where is the watcher hiding the wine?"

Tauriel led the Master back to the watcher's hut and found more of the wine with the Master's signature on the bottles inside a large box with blankets stacked on top of it. Once the watcher was arrested and the wine retrieved, Legolas and Tauriel set off back to the Woodland Realm.

"You disobeyed my orders," Legolas said while on the boat. Tauriel shifted her legs uncomfortably and looked down at her lap where her bow rested. Neither of them said another word on the way back home.**

*The Feast of Starlight was held that night. A celebration where all of the Woodland Elves came together and had a great feast that lasted most of the night. Galion, Thranduil's butler, saw to the serving of the wine. He was obsessed with wine, and as described by Alagos, he always passed out from drunkenness before the night was even halfway over. Tauriel also came to know Elros, who was the dungeon guard in the Woodland Realm.

There were Elves that played lyres and harps, and there was dancing. They sang songs that dated as far back as the First Age. Thranduil raised a glass of wine.

"Together, we feast and celebrate for the light that the stars provide at night. May those lights never go out," Thranduil declared. The rest of the Elves raised their glasses and cheered. Tauriel raised her glass but she didn't cheer along with them. She didn't even take a sip when everyone else did. Legolas was sitting next to her silent. He didn't take any sips either.

"What's wrong, Tauriel?" Legolas asked.

"I'm sorry about today. I disobeyed you and went after the man. Forgive me for my wrongdoing," Tauriel pleaded. From one corner of Legolas's lips came a small smile.

"Your actions today mirrored mine when I was younger. I forgive you, however, such actions deserve a report from me to the king," Legolas said. Tauriel felt her heart beat quickly grow faster and a cold sweat broke across her face.

"Have you given the report yet?" She asked.

"No," Legolas replied.

"Do you ever intend to?"

"No."

Tauriel choked back a gasp and her shoulders relaxed. Legolas was going to spare her from humiliation and possibly even banishment. Banishment was one of her greatest fears now. She couldn't lose another home.

Legolas smiled down at her and raised his glass to her. Tauriel raised her own glass to him, and the two glasses clacked together. Legolas and Tauriel both tipped their heads back and allowed the wine to flow down their throats. It tasted like fresh grapes on Tauriel's tongue and cooled the burning sensation she had from her anxiety. Though her nightmares still whispered in her mind, she looked up at the stars shining down on the feast, and for the first time since she got to the Woodlands, she felt truly accepted and happy.**

End of Story 1


	2. 2 - Elbes

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took me a long time to release this one. This story was so much harder to write than the last one. This one is about the fate of Legolas's mother. Since there is absolutely nothing said about her in the history of Middle-Earth, it was something I was able to do whatever I honestly wanted to do with it, but I also had to keep continuity in check at the same time. All of this is building up to something big that I'm currently working on for the end. Enjoy! The asterisk (*) used once means the start of a new scene, and the asterisk symbol used twice signals the END of a scene.**

*Tauriel's eyes glistened with tears as she headed towards her room. Legolas had gotten frustrated with her again to the point where he was yelling. He complained that her flow with a dagger was not clean or graceful enough, but rather sloppy instead. It was odd to Tauriel that such a little problem was such a big deal to Legolas. After all, it wasn't like they ever had to fight any foes in the forest. The Greenwood Forest was a safe haven and free of enemies.

"What do you expect from me? To be perfect?" Tauriel had asked Legolas.

"You're far from perfect, and I fear you always will be," Legolas replied. The words pierced Tauriel like an arrow to the heart.

"You don't have faith in me?" She asked. Legolas didn't answer, but instead stalked off back into the kingdom, leaving Tauriel out in the forest.

As Tauriel got closer to her room, she bumped into Legolas's father Thranduil.

"Forgive me, my king. I did not see you there," Tauriel apologized. Thranduil tilted his head and stared at her in thought.

"What troubles you, Tauriel?" He asked.

"It is Legolas. I can never seem to please him, and today he became very angry with me when my training was inefficient," Tauriel explained.

"Dealings with my son requires great patience. He has still not quite gotten over the death of his mother."

Tauriel's eyes widened. Obviously, Legolas had to have had a mother at some point, but she had never given it a second thought that Legolas's mother was nowhere to be seen. Now she had the answer to that mystery.

"Come with me Tauriel, and I will explain," Thranduil offered. Tauriel wasn't sure what to think. If Legolas felt truly comfortable about her hearing what happened to his mother, he would have told her himself. On the other hand, this was his father who was offering to tell the story and he was the ultimate authority. With that in mind, Tauriel nodded and followed Thranduil outside. Thranduil sat down on a large stone and Tauriel sat on the ground with her legs folded.

"It happened a good number of moons ago, when my wife departed to face a threat we did not see," Thranduil started.**

*Legolas's mother was Elbes, named after the Sindarin word for 'star'. She was the fairest Elf maiden in the entire kingdom. She always wore a crown of colored autumn leaves and her dress was a pure white to imitate the light of the stars. When Legolas was just a child, Elbes would take him out into the peaceful silence of the night to show him the stars. Legolas didn't have the same fondness for the stars as much as most of the other Elves did. He acknowledged the stars' history, how the starlight was the first light before the sun and the moon even existed, but his passion was for archery and riding his own horse. Though Thranduil felt disgusted that Legolas didn't have the same fascination for starlight, Elbes loved Legolas all the same and even saw to it that a new bow was made for him.

"This bow is for you, my son. Treat it with care and use it responsibly," she instructed Legolas upon giving it to him.

"I will take care of this as if it is my own life," Legolas promised.

"Your own life is also important to take care of. I believe that you will be involved in what will result to be the fate of not just our race, but also of the fate of Middle-Earth itself," Elbes said. Legolas didn't understand what she meant by that. Somehow, her mother had the ability to know things that nobody else within the kingdom knew about. Most of it was centered around the future. The only other Elf known to possess that kind of power was Elrond from Rivendell. Elbes only spoke her predictions in the form of vague riddles. She said that if she gave specific details, then the person would try to take advantage of the knowledge prematurely. Legolas trusted his mother, and never questioned her knowledge.

At least that's what it was like for a while, but the riddles began to irritate Legolas and cause him to doubt that his mother was even telling the truth.

"Your mother knows what she is doing," Thranduil told Legolas one day when they walked through the Greenwood.

"She tells me things, and they haunt me," Legolas admitted.

"She never intends to haunt you. She loves you more than you know, and she only wants to see you make a difference," Thranduil replied.

"It is the greed of Men that has led to the slow decay of this world, as well as the unnatural evil that stalks many parts of this world. We on the other hand have nothing to do with it."

"We played a part, whether you choose to accept that or not," Thranduil insisted. He spoke in a firm but kind voice. His expression was stone cold like it normally always was.

"My mother told me I will play a part in the fate of all Middle-Earth. What does she mean by that?" Legolas asked.

"That is for you to find out. All your mother is doing is trying to lead you down the right path. It is up to you whether or not you do what you are destined to do."

"I understand, father."

"No. You don't," Thranduil said.**

*A day afterwards, Elbes invited Legolas to travel with her to Rivendell, an Elven homeland ruled by Elrond. She was to meet with Celebrian, Elrond's wife, and her mother the Lady Galadriel. This would be the first time Legolas has met Elrond and Galadriel. He had heard many stories about them, and the idea of finally getting to meet them and see them for himself was overwhelming. So Elbes and Legolas, along with several Wood-Elf escorts traveled to Rivendell.

Elbes took Legolas directly to Elrond and Galadriel. Elrond had long eyebrows that were arched downwards as if he was upset, causing his eyes to appear as though they were attempting to pierce Legolas's heart. Galadriel was a sight to behold. She was the most beautiful Elf that Legolas had ever seen. Even more beautiful than Elbes. Celebrian had long silver hair and wore a pale blue dress.

"Welcome to Rivendell Elbes, it is an honor for you to be with us," Elrond said with a warm voice, despite his expression.

"Thank you Elrond. This here with me is my son Legolas," Elbes said. Elrond bowed to Legolas, which surprised him. The Elves had such great honor for each other, even the younger ones like him.**

Legolas later sat with Elbes, Galadriel, Elrond, and Celebrian underneath a pillar outside. The evening sun glowed a dark orange, reflecting off of Galadriel's and Celebrian's beautiful faces.

"Your intentions concern me Lady Elbes. What about your son and the king Thranduil? What if you were to fail?" Elrond asked.

"I must do this. Legolas can come with me," Elbes said.

"Why take Legolas with you?" Galadriel asked.

"I don't trust Thranduil. His heart is hard, and his intentions for Legolas are not in his best interest," Elbes explained.

"What do you mean, mother?" Legolas asked.

"Your father carries many scars and many pains. His heart is growing harder with each passing day," Elbes said.

"He cares for me."

"He does. But I fear that he will choose a life for you that I don't want you to have," Elbes warned. Legolas was confused, and didn't know what to think. His mother and father had opposite intentions and hopes for him.

"I will leave tomorrow and take Legolas with me. I will fight to my last breath if I have to," Elbes said.

"It is unlike the Elves of the Greenwood to be involved in outside affairs," Elrond pointed out.

"But I want to be. Are we not part of this world?" Elbes asked. Silence settled over everyone as they pondered this. Finally, Elrond spoke again.

"You do not need my leave to make your decision. You must do what you feel is right."

"I know it's right."

At the time, Legolas didn't know that his mother's decision would lead to her fate.**

*As the sun was setting, Elbes stood alone with Galadriel. They had both slipped away from supper to talk in private.

"You know that you will die in this fight," Galadriel said.

"I know. Legolas must not know about this," Elbes replied. Galadriel's expression turned grim, her eyes displayed sadness.

"Why are you doing this?" Galadriel asked.

"I'm doing it to send a message to my people, to Thranduil. I want them to know that they are not destined to stay isolated from the rest of the world."

"You are brave and this is a very courageous act. But are you thinking about your son and your husband in this matter?" Galadriel asked.

"They will see me again. They will see me in the West when it is time."**

*The night sky revealed many stars in Rivendell. Legolas stood outside wearing a hood over his head. A slight chill penetrated the otherwise humid air. It was a chill that Legolas had become familiar with outside the Greenwood, but he didn't know why it was always around. It was like a darkness lingered in the shadows. It reminded Legolas of something his father had said to Elbes once.

"_Such is the nature of evil_, _out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads_. _A shadow that grows in the dark_. _A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night_. _So it ever was_, _so it will always be_. _In time_, _all foul things come forth_."

Legolas almost leaped out of his skin when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He spun around to see Elrond standing over him.

"Forgive me Lord Elrond, I was unaware of your presence," Legolas said.

"You have nothing to apologize for young Legolas. I could not help but sense the uneasiness within you," Elrond replied. Legolas stared back at the view of Rivendell from the balcony.

"Is it true what they say? Can you see glimpses of the future?" He asked.

"Yes. Sometimes it is clear, and sometimes not at all. I feel that over time, my ability to see the future is becoming weaker," Elrond admitted.

"Why?" Legolas asked.

"I do not know. It's like a darkness has been slowly creeping in, and it is becoming stronger every day."

Legolas shivered when he remembered his father's words. He always said them with a cold, ominous voice. He couldn't help but admit that his father made him feel nervous.

"My mother tells me that I shouldn't prod her to know what my future holds," Legolas said.

"She's right. You must learn to choose your own path. You decide your own future."

"Can you at least tell me one thing?" Legolas asked.

"What is it?"

"Is there hope for my future?"

A small smile slipped from Elrond. He placed a warm hand on Legolas's shoulder.

"There is always hope for your future, no matter how dark things may seem."**

*"You never did tell me where we were going," Legolas told his mother when they were walking away from Rivendell. Legolas felt a tug of sadness that he was leaving such a beautiful place. He would never forget Elrond, and he hoped to see him again.

"We are going farther west from the Greenwood. Orcs are gathering together and marching straight towards our home. I must hold them off as much as I can," Elbes explained.

"Why not tell father?" Legolas asked.

"He would wait until the Orcs cross our borders. We must keep them away from the forest, our home," Elbes said. Legolas decided it was best to not argue with her mother. Maybe she was right. Maybe the best thing to do was take action against any possible threats. He was willing to be by his mother's side as much as he can. It made him feel sad to think this, but he valued his mother more than his father. His mother was more interested in her son's affairs than his father was. His father had some specific expectations that Legolas knew he couldn't fulfill, because he wasn't his father. He wasn't the same elf. Legolas wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to be the next king of the Wood-Elves, should something happen to his father. He knew he was the next heir, thus the rightful one, but that didn't mean he felt compelled to have the throne. Besides, even if he felt like having the throne, he would never have it unless his father is killed.**

*The evening sun was slipping away, leaving a blood-red impression over the fields stretching out before Legolas and Elbes. They were in the fields that belonged to the Skin-Changer Beorn who lived close to Greenwood. Beorn was an ancestor of the Skin-Changer by the same name who dwelled by the Greenwood during Tauriel's days in the Woodland Realm.

"You are not thinking of asking the Skin-Changer for help are you?" Legolas asked.

"That is exactly my intention," Elbes replied.

A few minutes later, they approached Beorn's home. Several horses stood by the house, whinnying at Legolas and Elbes' arrival. The door opened, revealing a tall man with grayish-brown hair with a long brown beard. He was bulky, having long and large arms.

"I thought I smelled elves a minute ago. But the reason I didn't like the smell was because it was coming from Wood-Elves," the man, who was obviously Beorn, said. Legolas frowned. That wasn't the kind of welcome he was expecting, but then again he wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect.

"I am Elbes, the Queen of the Greenwood, and this is my son Legolas Greenleaf," Elbes said.

"I know who you are. It isn't every day that a Wood-Elf comes to my door. What is it that you need?" Beorn asked.

"We need your help. A pack of Orcs are coming in this direction and are coming for the Greenwood. We need to confront them and make sure they don't come any closer," Elbes said.

"Does the king know your intentions?"

"No. He does not. This fight is only meant for me, my son, and a few of my people who have agreed to stand with me," Elbes said. Beorn heaved a heavy sigh.

"Your son looks ill prepared and weak."

Legolas immediately grabbed his quiver and had an arrow strung inside before Beorn could blink. The arrow's tip was just inches from Beorn's forehead.

"If I couldn't do this, my mother would not have brought me," Legolas insisted. A deep growl like a beast rumbled inside Beorn's throat. He finally nodded.

"I will help you. But your effort, though courageous, is not wise."**

*In the dead of night, Legolas, Elbes, and Beorn waited. A group of birds desperately flew up into the sky, shrieking in terror. Legolas tensed, his grip on his bow so tight that his knuckles whitened. He could already hear the chanting and grunting of Orcs. Over a mound, they appeared, gnashing their teeth and howling. Their black blades were already drawn. The number of Orcs was almost overwhelming. Legolas counted about ninety. Some of them rode on Wargs. Beads of sweat stuck to Legolas's forehead and sent shivers down his entire body.

"Shoot the first arrow, Legolas," Elbes instructed. Legolas put an arrow in his quiver, aimed at one of the Orcs in the front of the group and released the arrow. The arrow flew and struck the Orc square in the forehead. It shrieked and fell forward. The other Orcs roared and charged faster. Elbes had her sword out and ready. Legolas heard a deep growl from Beorn. He turned to look at him and his eyes widened at the sight of him changing. Beorn was transforming into a bear. When the transformation was finally finished, he looked up at the sky, let out a loud roar, and leaped towards the Orcs. He fell on top of several, embedding his teeth in one's throat and then slashing another across the face.

Legolas couldn't believe this was happening. This was actually happening. This was the first time he had ever faced an Orc pack. This had to be his moment. Maybe by helping his mother defeat these Orcs, he can prove to his father that he was worthy to be his son. He continued unleashing arrow after arrow, some made the mark and others missed completely.

He watched his mother cut through Orc after Orc. Despite how many she killed however, more seemed to come. Legolas noticed one Orc that was larger and taller than the rest. It was barking orders at the Orcs in the Black Speech. That meant he was the leader.

Legolas had the opportunity to kill the leader.

From a small sheath hooked to his belt, he removed a long dagger and twirled it in his hand, feeling the texture of the hilt. There were runes carved into it. He could feel the runes as his fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt. He then charged after the leader. The Orc leader spotted him and managed to parry Legolas's death blow. The loud clanging sound that followed rang through Legolas's head and pinched the skin around his eyes. He quickly shook his head to get rid of the headache, and spun around to deliver another blow. The leader roared and caught the dagger again with his long blade. The Orc laughed, revealing rotten, gore-stained teeth. Legolas's dagger slid off the Orc's blade and Legolas raised it again to parry the Orc's attempt to slash his throat.

The two opponents continued to swing their blades at each other. As they fought, Legolas heard something run close behind him. He spun around and managed to slash his dagger across his attacker's neck. The headless Orc fell off its feet. Black blood dripped from Legolas's blade and ran down the hilt. He returned his attention back to the leader, whose sword was plunging towards Legolas's head. Legolas dropped and rolled. He looked up to see the leader walking towards him. Before he could get up, the leader stomped on his chest, pinning him there. It raised its blade with both hands to stab down. Legolas's dagger was lying just a few inches from him, but he couldn't reach it no matter how hard he pushed. The Orc spoke something in the Black Speech, and was about ready to stab downwards, until suddenly the tip of a sword protruded out from his throat. The leader's hold on Legolas's chest loosened, allowing him to escape from underneath its foot. The leader fell to the ground dead. Legolas looked up from the corpse and gasped to see his own father standing where the leader was standing just a few seconds ago. Orc blood oozed down his blade, and Thranduil's eyes contained a fire that was in danger of bursting out.

Legolas looked around him and realized that all the remaining Orcs were either dead or fleeing while Wood-Elves chased them. He then saw a sight that to this day he wished could be unseen. His mother was lying on the ground with a bloody wound in her throat. It was the very first time Legolas saw blood that wasn't from an Orc or another creature.

Legolas ran over to his mother and fell to his knees. Grief swept over him like a massive tidal wave. All of the noise of horses' hooves and flying arrows felt like they were muted so that the only sound remaining was the beating of Legolas's heart. His mother opened her blood-stained eyelids. Her face was paling quickly.

"Someone please help!" Legolas shouted. Elbes took Legolas's hand and firmly held it. For a split second, Legolas could see images flash through his mind. Most of them made no sense to him, but the last image lingered just a few seconds longer. The image was that of a great eye wreathed in flame. Along with it, Legolas felt the same chills he had felt at Rivendell.

"It's alright. It's alright, Legolas. Go. Leave me," Elbes said.

"No. I cannot. I _won't_!"

"You must."

"I can't leave you, mother!" Legolas turned to his father, his eyes begging for any kind of help. Thranduil however stood rigid where he was. His expression was cold and furious.

"Remember what I told you...about your future...never lose hope. Don't be angry with your father. Continue to serve him, and one day, you will realize the role you will play on this earth," Elbes said. She then closed her eyes, and breathed her last breath.

"Mother? Mother! No, no, no!" Legolas wept. He gently picked up Elbes' head and laid it on his lap. Tears fell from his eyes and splattered his mother's chest. He then felt his father's hand rest on his shoulder. He wrenched his shoulder away, fury building up within his throat.

"You could've saved her yourself had you stayed with her during the fight," Thranduil said. Legolas leaped to his feet and spun around to face his father. Scarlet exploded across his face.

"She would not have died had you decided to face the Orcs outside our borders!" Legolas screamed. Beorn then appeared next to Thranduil, back in his normal form.

"You Wood-Elves are all the same. I do not trust your kind, and you are not welcome in my home again," he insisted. He then turned and walked away back in the direction of his home.

"We will take her body with us back to the kingdom and have the funeral tonight," Thranduil said.

"You will not touch her," Legolas shot back, venom choking his voice. Violent anger flared in Thranduil's eyes, and for a brief second, Legolas thought he could see his father's cheek begin to open up, revealing bone and torn tissue, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

"She is my wife! Her body will be properly dealt with. We are taking her back," Thranduil insisted. Legolas had no more words to say. His father had rendered him speechless yet again. He didn't want to be with his father any longer, but his mother had told him to stay, and now that she was dead, it was best to honor her final wishes. Ever since then, Legolas had never traveled outside Greenwood.**

*Tauriel listened to Thranduil finish telling her what had happened. Learning this story shed new light on Legolas's personality and where the impatience and frustration was coming from.

"My lord, may I ask, do I remind Legolas of her?" She asked. Thranduil frowned.

"You don't remind _me _of Elbes. But maybe Legolas sees something about you that I do not," he replied. Tauriel stood up and smoothed her robe with both her hands.

"I'm going to go talk to him," she said. Thranduil didn't reply. Even when she walked away.

She found Legolas standing in front of Thranduil's throne staring up at it.

"I'm not angry at you," Legolas said without turning around to face her.

"I know."

"You wish for me to continue your training," Legolas said, not as a question.

"If I may, I must know. Do I remind you of your mother?" Tauriel asked. Legolas finally turned around and looked her right in the eye. Tauriel held her breath, waiting for an answer. She wasn't sure which answer to expect or which one she really wanted to hear.

"It was as if my mother was reborn and is standing in front of me right now," Legolas answered.

"Is that an ill fact?" Tauriel asked.

"It makes it harder for me to let go of my mother's passing. That is why I cannot train you anymore, and Alagos will be the one to train you now from this day forth," Legolas replied. Tauriel felt her shoulders sink and her heart almost stop. All of a sudden, she didn't feel like she belonged in the kingdom.**

End of Story 2


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